Existing fly fishing reels typically have a spool rotatably mounted to a shaft extending outwardly from a central portion of a reel housing. The spool includes a winding drum that allows fishing line to be either paid out or reeled in dependent upon the direction of rotation of the spool about the main shaft of the fishing reel. At times, it is desirable to increase the force required to pay out fishing line, such as when a fish has been hooked, which is commonly referred to as increasing the amount of “drag” on the reel. The desired amount of force required to pay out the fishing line may vary based on a number of factors, such as the weight of the fish on the line. Existing reels often include mechanisms that allow the user of the fishing reel to vary the force required to pay out line as desired.
Typically, these drag mechanisms include multiple, intricate components that are often exposed to environmental parameters, such as water, salt, etc. Exposure to such elements over time can lead to the degradation of the individual components, thereby causing reduced performance of the fishing reel. In addition, these mechanisms frequently operate on the concept of increasing friction between the intricate components, thereby increasing the drag force exerted on the spool. Increased friction between the intricate elements can also lead to wear of the components, and ultimately degrade the performance of the fishing reel. Thus, while prior art approaches have worked reasonably well, further room for improvement exists in the art.